How to Fight Anti-Semitism - by Bari Weiss (Paperback)

About the Book

"No longer the exclusive province of the far right and far left, anti-semitism finds a home in identity politics and the reaction against identity politics, in the renewal of "America first" isolationism and the rise of one-world socialism. An ancient hatred increasingly allowed into modern political discussion, anti-semitism has been migrating toward the mainstream in dangerous ways, amplified by social media and a culture of conspiracy that threatens us all. This timely book is Weiss's cri de couer: an unnerving reminder that Jews must never lose their hard-won instinct for danger, and a powerful case for renewing Jewish and liberal values to guide us through this uncertain moment. Not just for the sake of America's Jews, but for the sake of America." --

Book Synopsis

WINNER OF THE NATIONAL JEWISH BOOK AWARD - BARI WEISS NAMED TO THE 2025 TIME100 NEXT LIST

The prescient founder of The Free Press and editor-in-chief of CBS News delivers an urgent wake-up call to all Americans exposing the alarming rise of anti-Semitism in this country--and explains what we can do to defeat it.

"A praiseworthy and concise brief against modern-day anti-Semitism."--The New York Times

For most Americans, the massacre at Tree of Life, the synagogue where Bari Weiss became a bat mitzvah, came as a shock: eleven people were gunned down in the deadliest attack on Jews in U.S. history. But anti-Semitism is the oldest hatred, commonplace across the Middle East and on the rise for years in Europe. So that terrible morning in Pittsburgh, as well as the continued surge of hate crimes against Jews in cities and towns across the country, raise a question Americans cannot avoid: Could it happen here?

No longer the exclusive province of the far right, the far left, and assorted religious bigots, anti-Semitism now finds a home in identity politics as well as the reaction against identity politics, in the renewal of America First isolationism and the rise of one-world socialism, and in the spread of Islamist ideas into unlikely places. A hatred that was, until recently, reliably taboo has migrated toward the mainstream, amplified by social media and a culture of conspiracy that threatens us all.

Weiss is one of our most provocative writers, and her cri de coeur makes a powerful case for renewing Jewish and American values in this uncertain moment. Not just for the sake of America's Jews, but for the sake of America.

Review Quotes

"A timely warning against a Judaism that trembles at the knees."--Washington Examiner

"Bari Weiss has written what must be judged a brave book. . . . Weiss has delivered a praiseworthy and concise brief against modern-day anti-Semitism."--The New York Times

"Weiss's book feels like one long, soul-wrenching letter, written in a charmingly accessible style by a proud American reeling from the realization that the haters are on the rise in this land we love."--Jewish Journal

"An important read . . . Because a battle over normalizing anti-Semitism is already underway, Weiss's real public service is encouraging mainstream Americans to join the forces of light."--The Federalist

"What Heinrich Graetz required six volumes of Jewish history to encompass, Bari Weiss has achieved with remarkable succinctness. This important book will engender a thousand conversations."--Cynthia Ozick

"Her childhood synagogue in Pittsburgh was the site of last year's Shabbat morning massacre. This passionate, vividly written, regularly insightful book is her pained, fighting elegy."--The Guardian

"A bold summons to confront humanity's oldest hatred."--National Review

"Weiss's refreshingly forthright opinions and remarkably thorough yet concise history lessons make this a must-read for anyone seeking to understand and stop the rise of a pernicious ideology."--Publishers Weekly

"At the core of the text is the author's concern for the health and safety of American citizens, and she encourages anyone 'who loves freedom and seeks to protect it' to join with her in vigorous activism."--Kirkus Reviews

"This is the most important book you will read this year. Concise, morally certain, it's a bullet train from the first sentence to the last. There needs to be a copy in every classroom in the country. If you think something dark is rising, you're right. What can you do? This is what you do."--Caitlin Flanagan, staff writer, The Atlantic, and author of To Hell with All That

"How to Fight Anti-Semitism is urgent, frank, and fearless. There is something here to offend everyone--because there is something here to awaken everyone."--Rabbi David Wolpe, author of David: The Divided Heart

"While European anti-Semitism has put Jews in mortal danger for too long, the 'shining city upon a hill'--America--has descended into this same toxic darkness. Bari Weiss's book is a powerful wake-up call against complacency and should push all freethinkers on both sides of the Atlantic to take a stand against new guises of the oldest form of hate in the world. How to Fight Anti-Semitism? Yes. But it could also be called How to Save Liberal Democracy.'"--Bernard-Henri Lévy, bestselling author of The Empire and the Five Kings

About the Author

Bari Weiss is the host of the podcast Honestly and the founder and editor of The Free Press. In 2025, she was named one of Time magazine's 100 most influential rising stars.